President Yang Zhijian, Vice Mayor Li Jing, Vice Director-General Guo Lihong of the Shanxi Department of Education, and President Zhang Ning of Xi’an RTVU delivered speeches at the inauguration ceremony, which was chaired by Secretary Yang Xinzhou of Xi’an RTVU CPC Committee.
Yang Zhijian said that the Xi’an Branch is an important part of the OUC system and that Xi’an RTVU should explore five aspects in particular: the construction of an ancillary system, the construction of a school organizational system, teaching digitalization, the reform of teaching models, and the construction of a credit bank. In this way Xi’an RTVU will achieve a true strategic transition toward an open university. He indicated that the OUC will do what it can to support the construction and development of the Xi’an Branch and work hard to shape a clear model for China’s open universities.
Li Jing said that the Xi’an Branch has taken on a mission to meet a diverse range of learning needs, promote equal access to education for all, overcome the disadvantages of examination-oriented education, and implement quality education. This mission represents the branch’s support of the construction of a lifelong learning system and learning-oriented city and its contribution to urban development in Xi’an. She asked that Xi’an RTVU explore the true significance of the OUC and strive to formulate a new school management and operating mechanism that better meets the needs of adult learners and makes full use of the advantages of modern distance education.
Guo Lihong said that the official establishment of the Xi’an Branch conformed to the new requirements for the reform and development of education. It represents a new chapter in the history of continuing education in Xi’an and Shanxi Province. He hopes that Xi’an Branch will explore a completely new development path, improve the quality of school management, and expand its influence so as to make a greater contribution to distance education and continuing education and the creation of a lifelong learning system in Xi’an.
Zhang Ning indicated that the establishment of the Xi’an Branch would help to push Xi’an RTVU to a new stage. Xi’an RTVU will make full use of modern information technology, integrate quality social educational resources, renew educational thought, create an innovative training model, and improve the capacity, level and quality of open and distance education.
Director Qi Yanwei of the OUC President’s Office read Announcement of the Establishment of the Open University of China Xi’an Branch.
Ten experimental learning centers in Wuweishizi, Changxing, Tumen, Weiyang, Gaoxin, Chang’an, Lintong, Zhouzhi, Yanliang, and Huxian were also authorized at the inauguration.
The attendees present at the inauguration included: Vice Secretary-General of Xi’an City People’s Government Huang Xiaohua; Director of Xi’an Education Bureau Li Yingke; Deputy Director of Higher Education Division of Shanxi Department of Education Jing Hao; Director of General Division Three of the General Office of Xi’an City People’s Government Tian Di; Director of Tertiary Vocational Education and Adult Education of Xi’an Education Bureau Hu Zonghuang; and faculty members from Xi’an RTVU.
By Li Xinran, Zhang Shu